PASIR GUDANG: Johor’s push to attract investors offering high-paying jobs alongside talent development has been strengthened by the entry of a US-based robotics firm.
Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the state is keen to draw companies such as Brooks Automation Malaysia that create high-value employment, in line with the Johor–Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) vision to raise incomes and attract skilled talent.
Speaking at the company’s plant opening here on Thursday (Jan 22), Onn Hafiz commended the automation and semiconductor robotics firm for offering starting salaries of RM3,000 to fresh diploma graduates, with more qualified professionals earning up to RM10,000 a month.
“This is what we are promoting — not just investors who offer jobs, but investors who offer high-premium jobs,” he said.
Onn Hafiz said the state government had accepted Brooks Automation as a strategic investor following discussions during his visit to the company’s Boston office in September last year.
He also welcomed the company’s US$1mil (RM4mil) contribution towards talent development in Johor, saying the commitment would support the state’s goal of becoming a regional engine of growth.
Onn Hafiz said Johor recorded RM91bil in approved investments as of the third quarter of last year and was on track to surpass RM100bil by year-end, expressing appreciation to the Malaysian Investment Development Authority for its support.
“This is just the beginning. We are barely scratching the surface, and this comes only a year after the JS-SEZ agreement was signed between the governments of Malaysia and Singapore,” he said.
He added that Johor was ready to receive more investments, but stressed the need for stronger coordination among federal and state agencies, as well as industrial park developers and utility providers.
Onn Hafiz noted that some industrial park developers had made commitments on behalf of the state that could not be fulfilled without government backing, while some consultants advising potential investors were unfamiliar with Johor’s business landscape.
“As such, Johor, through the Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre Johor, together with Mida, must strengthen collaboration with all relevant parties to ensure smoother investment execution,” he said.
“We need to ensure that our word is our bond,” he added, noting that talent development would also be strengthened through the Johor Talent Development Council.
Brooks Automation, founded in 1978, is believed to have invested about US$60mil (RM242mil) in its 180,000 sq ft facility in Pasir Gudang, which employs around 300 workers.
